Half to james cbawley



(No Model.)

P. B. OASSIDY.

MAIL BAG OATGHER.

No. 311,228. Patented Jan. 27, 1885.

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Wwwsses. v Inventor:

@GQ-P UNITED STATES Erica,

PATE T PETER B. CASSIDY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JAMES GRAWVLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,228, dated January 27, 1885.

Application filed November 21, 1884.

To all whom it' may concern.-

Be it known that 1, PETER B. CASSIDY, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Bag Catchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specificatiomwhich is a perspective view of my improved mailbag catcher arranged in the doorway of a mail-car.

In the drawing, a represents a standard extending from the floor of a car, to which it is securely bolted, to the roof-beams, whereit is secured in a like manner. Journaled on this standard is a wheel or disk, 5, a portion of the periphery of which is provided with ratchet-teeth 0, which engage with a pawl, d, which pawl is secured to a bracket, e, extending from the standard a.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the plain surface of the periphery of the disk b is a yoke or V- shaped arm, j", which eXtends,when in position, outside of the car, so as to grasp the mail-bag, which is hung on the usual sup portingframe at the side of the track.

Secured to the side of the car,on the inside thereof, is a strong bar-spring, y, the end of which is pivoted to the outer end of a linkarm, h, the other end of which link-arm is pivoted to the periphery of the disk b, so that the force of the spring shall be exerted to retain the arm in its normal position, as shown in the drawing.

Keyed rigidly to the shaft a, above the disk I), is a projecting arm, 1', to which is pivoted a swinging arm,7c, the arm being pivoted at a distance about one-third from its inner end, which inner portion is slightly curved, projecting over the face of the disk I), so that a movable pin, '2, which is inserted in a suitable recess or slot in the disk b, shall engage with the inner portion of the arm 70 when the wheel makes a partial revolution, as hereinafter described, and thereby throw the forward end of the arm 76 over the yoke or catching-arm f.

The operation of these parts is as follows: The spring 9, holding the arm f in its normal (No model.)

position extending outside of the car, the car being in motion, the mail-bag comes within the yoke, and the force of the resistance of fered by the bag throws the yoke around inside of the ear, overcoming the force of the spring g. At the same time the forward end of the swinging arm it closes the mouth of the yoke, pressing against the bag, holds it firmly therein. During the partial revolution of the disk I) the pawl d travels over the ratchetteeth, engaging with the same, prevents the disk I) from being carried back to its normal position by the force of the spring 9 until the mail-bag is removed from the yoke, which yoke is at that time inside of the car, by removing the pin 1, so as to allow the swinging arm 70 to be moved away from the mouth of the yoke. The mail-bag having been released from the yoke, the pin Z is reinserted in the slot, the pawl d is disengaged from the ratchet, and the force of the spring then carries the yoke back to its former position, ready to be engaged to another mail-bag.

Secured to the standard a, is a stop, (not shown in the drawing) which engages with a projecting lug on the lower face of the disk I), and thereby prevents the yoke from being carried too far by the force of the spring 9.

The advantages of my improvement are compactness of the apparatus employed, strength, and simplicity. At the same time the device acts as a perfect catcher for the bag, holding it securely within the yoke until .it is delivered'inside of the car, and without injury to the sack.

The special advantage of my improvement is, as already mentioned, the prevention of injury to the mailbags or their contents.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a mailbag catcher, the combination of a pivoted disk or arm having secured thereto a projecting yoke, a spring or other device arranged so as to form a resistance to the movement of the yoke as it engages with the bag, and a pawl or securing device for retaining the yoke in position after it has been thrown back by the mail-bag, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a mail-bag catcher, the combination I the movement of the same, substantially as 10 of a pivoted disk or arm having secured therel and for the purposes described.

to a projecting yoke, a spring or other device I In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my arranged so as to form a resistance to the movehand this 6th day of November, A. D. 1884.

5 ment of the yoke as it engages with the bag", a pawl or securing device for retaining the yoke in position after it has been thrown back by \Vitnesses: the mail-bag, and a retaining-arm adapted to WV. B. OoRWIN, automatically close the mouth of the yoke by THOMAS W. BAKEWELL.

PETER B. OASSIDY. 

